Singaporeans who believe in life without God

Growing up in a staunch Catholic family, Nic Das attended church services regularly and believed in leading a virtuous life guided by God. But when he was in his early twenties, he found himself at a crossroads and began to question his faith.

The epiphany came to Nic because he decided to come out of the closet.

“I was trying to reconcile the fact that I’m gay with what I knew about my (Catholic) theology and I couldn’t because a lot of it was very pro-one man, one woman. It was always this whole thing about Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve,” the part-time waiter told Yahoo Singapore in a recent interview.

Still, Nic believed that another branch of Christianity would embrace him despite his sexual orientation. He attended sermons conducted by the City Harvest Church (CHC) and enjoyed the camaraderie among the church members during cell group meetings.

Nic Das (Photo by Yahoo Singapore)

The positive experience did not last long for Nic as he felt alienated after his cell group members questioned him repeatedly about his sexuality.

“I had a few guy friends in the group who would tell me they hoped I would be ‘normal’ even after telling them that I am normal. I am gay, and that’s who I am. But they weren’t listening to what I was saying,” said Nic, now 27.

When news broke in 2010 about a probe by the authorities into the misappropriation of funds at CHC, Nic lost his faith in the church and officially left in 2012. A research into a “gay-affirming” church followed but after being disillusioned with its teachings, he began to look to non-religious organisations.

Last year, Nic joined the Humanist Society (Singapore), an organisation that aims to further the interests of non-religious people in Singapore and create public awareness about seeking knowledge through science, humanism and ethical living. In addition, he also volunteered at a local LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) organisation.

In the two organisations, Nic has finally found a sanctuary accepting of his sexual orientation and he now considers himself an atheist.

Deprivation prompts questions about faith

Nic is among a growing number of Singaporeans who are non-believers. Among Singapore residents aged 15 and above, the proportion of those without religious affiliation had risen from 14 per cent in 2000 to 18.5 per cent in 2015, according to data from Statistics Singapore.

Like Nic, 31-year-old Careyma Giena Sam, a freelance graphic designer, is no longer religious. But her experience of leaving her faith was uncommon compared to that of other Singaporean non-believers - she grew up in a religious cult whose members were living in a gated community at a number of villages across Indonesia. The members of the cult adhere to tenets that are derived from two mainstream religions.

Carey was often punished severely for minor transgressions by the cult leaders. Once, she was forced to march across an open field with wooden planks attached to her arms and locked in a room for long hours for merely trying to sneak out of the compound to buy snacks.

“I came back to the compound, they took my stuff out from my house and called me an infidel. I felt guilty but confused at the same time because all I wanted was to buy snacks,” Carey told Yahoo Singapore in an interview.

Determined to leave the cult, Carey attempted suicide a few times and eventually managed to escape to Singapore when she was 17. Her parents, both of whom are still members of the cult, did not send her back to the community. Due to the sensitive nature of her past and family background, Carey did not wish to disclose the name of the cult.

Carey was later afflicted with typhus, which she believed was due to an overnight stay in a ramshackle shed during an attempt to leave the cult. Her traumatic experience with the cult and later, her father’s illness, made her question about her faith and the meaning of life.

“There’s so much suffering in this world that it’s impossible that there’s a God,” said Carey, who became an atheist after leaving the cult.

Don’t need God to set moral compass

One common view among many believers of mainstream religions is that atheists lack a moral compass. But atheists that Yahoo Singapore spoke to at a recent Humanist Society meeting dispelled the notion, saying that the concepts of morality outlined by mainstream religions are restrictive.

Kelvin Wee, 31, a former social worker who has been an atheist for about 10 years, acknowledged that religions play a role in society by teaching individuals about morals. But Wee said that when he began to learn more about ethics, he realised that there is no need for God in his life and that he can still be a righteous person. Religions should not monopolise ideas about what is right and wrong, added Wee, who is currently unemployed.

Kelvin Wee (Photo by Yahoo Singapore)

“There are certain rules that come close as universal but there are lots of things that are in the middle ground,” said Wee, who grew up in a Taoist family. He added that he became disillusioned with religion after reading several philosophical books that argued against the existence of God.

Davin Chee, a 26-year-old logistics executive, agreed, saying that people should look beyond religion to understand more about the world around them.

“Just because you can’t find the answer does not mean we can just ascribe it to God. Using God as the answer prevents people from thinking and finding answers (themselves),” Chee said.

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